Credits:

Bragernes Kirkes Ungdomskor

Description:

A collection of Christmas carols with the clear voice of the Youth Choir! The city of Drammen, located 44 km southwest of the Norwegian capital Oslo, has nurtured many poets, philosophers, painters, musicians, and athletes. Braagenes Church plays a part in the musical activities of the town, with a choir, a girl's choir, and a boy's choir performing a variety of activities. The "Bragenes Church Youth Choir," whose wonderful voices can be heard on this album, is one of these groups. Under the direction of life-time conductor Beate Stromme Fevang, the teenage girls gathered for concerts and tours, singing at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York and Stephans Cathedral in Vienna. On this Christmas album, "Colors of Christmas," the members sing 15 songs, including some first-time recordings, selected from carols that carry the "Christmas message. From the works of Kim André Arnesen, one of Norway's most internationally popular composers, the album includes five songs composed on poems by Ewan Tate (b.1968), Isaac Watts (1674-1748), and Howard Thurman (1899-1981). Tove Knutsen, also from Norway, uses poems by Arvid Hansen (1932-1998), and Sweyn Møller uses "Psalm 23" as his text.Swedish-born Fredrik Syksten, who served as cantor of Nidaros Cathedral, still lives in Trondheim and composes mainly religious works, and his "Daughter Zion, dance much" is based on the Old Testament "Zechariah" and the New Testament "Gospel according to John" and "Praise Thee, O God! Let Us Praise Thee, O God! is a work with Martin Luther as its text. John Rutter's "Candlelight Carol" from England and Mykola Leontovich's "Carol of the Bells" from Ukraine have become established songs of the Christmas season. The American Z. Randall Stroup, "Eternal Light," is a work from the Latin liturgical text of the Requiem Mass. It is sung a cappella, with an ensemble of players including the Bogmila Dvráš Newstet of the Oslo Philharmonic, and accompanied on organ and piano by Anders Eisten Dahl, organist and music director of the Blaguenes Church. Tokyo M-Plus